Officials hold talks to finalise N-deal

US National Security Advisor and Under Secretary of State held late night talks with their counterparts in India.

In efforts to wrap up a civilian nuclear pact, top officials of India and the US held late night negotiations to iron out the remaining differences ahead of the Summit meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and visiting US President George W Bush in New Delhi on Thursday.

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Shortly after Bush's arrival in New Delhi on a three-day visit, his National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley and Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns held talks with their counterparts MK Narayanan and Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran.

Prior to the meeting, Narayanan and Saran met for about an hour.

Officials of the two countries met at around 9.15 PM and were closetted till late in the night, sources said.

Keen to conclude the follow-up agreement on the July 18 deal on civilian nuclear cooperation reached during the visit of the Prime Minister to Washington, the American officials travelling along with Bush on Air Force One were in regular touch telephonically with their Indian counterparts.